Evaluation of Lower-Limb Kinematics during Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test in Subjects with Locomotive Syndrome (LS) Using Wearable Gait Sensors (H-Gait System)

Abstract

Few studies have dealt with lower-limb kinematics during the timed up and go (TUG) test in subjects with locomotive syndrome (LS). This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of lower-limb kinematics during the TUG test in subjects with LS using the wearable sensor-based H-Gait system. A total of 140 participants were divided into the non-LS (n = 28), the LS-stage 1 (n = 78), and LS-stage 2 (n = 34) groups based on the LS risk test. Compared with the non-LS group, the LS-stage 1 and LS-stage 2 groups showed significantly smaller angular velocity of hip and knee extension during the sit-to-stand phase. The LS-stage 2 group showed significantly smaller peak angles of hip extension and flexion during the walking-out phase compared to the non-LS group. These findings indicate that the evaluation of the lower-limb kinematics during the TUG test using the H-Gait system is highly sensitive to detect LS, compared with the evaluation of the lower-limb kinematics when simply walking.